A Russian supergrass whose mysterious death sparked rumours he had been assassinated might have been murdered in a 'reprisal killing', a coroner heard today.
Alexander Perepilichnyy, a key witness in a £140million tax fraud investigation, collapsed while jogging outside his £3million mansion in Weybridge, Surrey, in November 2012 but police ruled out foul play at the time.
However, an earlier pre-inquest hearing was told of ‘serious concerns’ that he might have been assassinated as he was found to have ingested a rare poison from a plant only found in China - a known method of assassination by Chinese and Russian contract killers.
'Linked': Russian supergrass Alexander Perepilichnyy (left) died in 2012. Right, Alexander Litvinenko
There was speculation over a possible KGB-style hit because the father of two had been assisting Swiss prosecutors in a money-laundering case involving corrupt Russian officials and had also provided evidence against those linked to the 2009 death of anti-corruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. He was the fourth person linked to the Magnitsky case to have died suddenly.Today, the coroner heard his death had links to death of Mr Magnitsky and the case of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, 43, who was killed with radioactive polonium-210 in London in 2006.
Collapsed and died: Alexander Perepilichnyy
It was also heard today that Mr Perepilichnyy, 44, had received death threats and that his name appeared on a 'hit list' found in the home of an organised criminal.
Henrietta Hill QC, representing investment and activist fund Hermitage Capital Management, said Mr Perepilichnyy had been working with the firm on uncovering the money-laundering fraud.
She said: 'There is an objective basis for ruling that this deceased lost his life by virtue of a reprisal killing for assisting Hermitage in uncovering this fraud.
'We say Mr Magnitsky died in a similar way. There are clear parallels between Mr Magnitsky and and Mr Perepilichnyy. It is clear Mr Perepilichnyy provided significant information about this fraud.
'Information received from Mr Perepilichnyy was explosive.'
In highlighting foul play in the death, Ms Hill said there is a 'clear indication' that the businessman had received death threats and that his name 'had been found on a dossier that contained detailed and accurate information about his movements and family, from a group of organised criminals'.
The inquest also heard that a firm run by one of the suspects in the murder of Mr Litvinenko had launched a 'series of lawsuits' against Mr Perepilichnyy.
Mr Perepilichnyy, who moved to the UK in 2009, is one of a string of Russian exiles to die in mysterious circumstances.
The Coach House, home of Alexander Perepilichnayy, who received 'death threat's, the coroner heard
As well as Mr Litvinenko, others include oligarch Boris Berezovsky, 67, a critic of Vladimir Putin, found hanged at his Ascot home in March 2013, and Badri Patarkatsishvili, 52, a Georgian billionaire linked to political scandals and fraud allegations, who was found dead at his Surrey mansion in 2008 from a suspected heart attack.
He had told police he feared he would be murdered.
The pre-inquest review, before Richard Travers, senior coroner for Surrey, continues.
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